When duo the bees start winding down for the season ?
Mid-september.
That one hive that is going in a good direction of more bees right now had lost their queen and we replaced it recently, so it has a lot of work to do to put up honey for winter survival. It's just catching up to the other hives.
All the hives are putting honey and pollen to eat in the hive boxes, we'll put feeders on them to help.
Then the queens lay winter bees (living 4-5 months) which live longer than summer bees (38-45 days). The winter bees keep the queen fed and the temperature stable at 95 deg F using their body heat and wings for air flow in the hive all winter clustering in the middle of the brood area.
Most hives are not insulated, they are stacked deeps or mediums and deeps. As the temperatures go down, insulating wraps are put on the hives, or insulating foam strapped around them to make it easier for them to stay warm.
No need to do a thorough check of frames in the hive when the temperature is under 45 deg F. Only a very quick check for curiosity or to put in fondant/pollen for food, if necessary in the winter.
Make sure that in deep snow that there is some air getting in, so move snow if necessary to allow air to come in the reduced entrance-bottom front.
So then, after this extraction there is the mite treatment, optional feeding, and not much else to do this fall.
@Kathleen thank YOU, our first order ever!
